Beat

CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy were pressed from the get-go by Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the club’s meeting last Saturday and when the club’s renew hostilities this Saturday in Vancouver, LA expect much of the same.

In fact, such similarities are nothing new for LA who have played just three teams so in league play despite having played four matches. Add in the CONCACAF Champions League and the Galaxy’s first seven games will have been against just four different opponents.

“I’m wondering what the rest of this league is like. This is like the old days of the league ,” LA head coach Bruce Arena joked after training on Thursday. “We’re looking forward to the game. They have a good team, but I feel comfortable about our team. We’re looking better each week.”

The ‘Caps team that will take on the Galaxy will be slightly different than the one that LA earned a 1-0 victory over a week earlier, however, as Vancouver head coach will be able to call upon defensive midfielder Matias Laba. The Argentine was suspended for the StubHub Center leg of the home-at-home “series” but will be expected to return to the fold on Saturday providing the defensive cover in the center while also playing quick passes forward to kick start the Whitecaps attack.

The task of pressuring Laba is expected to fall to Galaxy midfielder Stefan Ishizaki, who often mans the attacking point of Arena’s diamond midfield.

“We have to be close and close them down quickly in midfield. We can’t be giving them time on the ball and it’s easy to say that, but it’ll take a lot of hard work,” said Ishizaki.

Three players with LA Galaxy connections have been named to the upcoming U.S. National Team Under-21 training camp that will take place at StubHub Center from April 20-24.

LA Galaxy Homegrown Players Jack McBean, Oscar Sorto and Jose Villarreal were named to the squad by U-21 head coach Tab Ramos. The U-21 squad was designed to serve as bridge between the U.S. U-20 squad and the U-23 group that will look to qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. The camp will end with a friendly against Club Tijuana on Wednesday.

“We’re excited to bring some of our best young players together for this initial U-21 camp,” said Ramos in a statement by U.S. Soccer. “We’re hoping that we can have another two or three camps between now and the end of the year. This camp is purely to have the team together so that we begin moving in the right direction. When the time is right, we can put a group that has kept playing together and is familiar with each other in front of the permanent coach.”

Galaxy midfielder Stefan Ishizaki played on turf for seven years while with Swedish first division club IF Elfsborg and believes that experience will help him as he looks to help lead LA to their third straight win.

"It'll be a difference, but I played for eight years on turf when I was in Sweden I'm used to it and I hope that I can take my experience into the game and help us," said Ishizaki.

On Wednesday, MLS announced the foundation of an MLS club in Atlanta, Georgia that will begin to play during the 2017 season. The club will be owned by Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and both the MLS side and the NFL team will play at a glittering new downtown stadium which will be built in 2017.

CARSON, Calif. -- The LA Galaxy Under-16's earned their first victory at the GA Cup on Tuesday with a 2-1 win over Toronto FC.

Dylan Smith and Jorge Ruiz tallied as the Galaxy U-16's knocked off Toronto FC who had fallen to RSL's U-16 earlier in the week. The Galaxy dropped a 2-0 result to Stoke City on Sunday in their first match of the tournament.

The Galaxy U-16's return to action on Thursday when they face Real Salt Lake at 4:00 pm PT.

LA Galaxy II defender Daniel Steres has been named to the USL PRO team of the week with his role in Los Dos’ 3-2 victory over Oklahoma City Energy FC.

The Los Dos center back scored his second goal of the season in LA’s victory over Oklahoma City last Monday. Steres also started –albeit at right back—during LA’s 3-0 defeat to Sacramento Republic on Sunday.

The LA Galaxy II return to action this Saturday against Orange County Blues at the StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium.